1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for arranging a liquid material on a substrate by discharging the liquid material in the form of liquid droplets, and particularly, relates to a method for forming a film on a substrate by discharging a liquid material in the form of liquid droplets, a device using the method, a method for arranging liquid crystal on a substrate by discharging liquid crystal from a discharge unit, and a device using the method.
2. Description of the Related Art
In liquid crystal devices, for example, an alignment film is formed on a substrate for alignment of liquid crystal molecules.
Such films are formed by forming a coated film of a liquid material on a substrate followed by drying.
Known examples of methods for forming a film of a liquid material on a substrate include printing and spin coating. In addition, there is also a technology in which coated films are formed by discharging a liquid material in the form of liquid droplets and then causing the droplets to impact on the substrate at a predetermined pitch for the purpose of reducing the amount of material used (e.g., Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. 9-138410).
In the case of a liquid crystal device, liquid crystal arranged on a substrate is used, for example, as a part of a display control unit in a liquid crystal device.
Known examples of methods for arranging liquid crystal on a substrate include a method for discharging a predetermined amount of liquid crystal from a discharge unit such as a dispenser. In addition, known examples of methods for arranging liquid crystal on a substrate include a method in order to carry out the arrangement of liquid crystal at higher precision for arranging the liquid crystal on a substrate by discharging liquid crystal from a discharge unit in the form of liquid droplets (e.g., Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. 5-281562).
In the case of methods for forming a film on a substrate by discharging a liquid material in the form of liquid droplets, or methods for arranging liquid crystal on a substrate by discharging the liquid crystal in the form of liquid droplets, the peripheral edges of the liquid droplets tend to remain unevenly in the form of drop marks. This unevenness causes a deterioration of uniformity of the film thickness, and may cause a deterioration of visibility in displays such as liquid crystal devices.